if I put a 400lbs engine in the bed of my truck should I turn off the OD? I have some freinds that say that OD is the weakest gear and it will destroy the tranny if you put a lot of stress on it ? is this true because i'm taking an engine to my brothers house and i dont want to wreck my tranny.

 

I wouldn't worry about turning off your OD for only 400lbs. That's only like having an extra 2-3 people riding in the truck weight -wise if you think about it.

 

400 lbs. is nothing. That is like when I take my really fat friend for a ride, I don't turn the OD off for him.

 

Tranny guy told me unless I was going to get on the freeway or be crusing around 60 to leave O/D off. He said around town stop and go or if towing a heavy enough load that would cause the tranny to shift constantly not to use O/D.

 

I dont meen to but in.. but that advise is good. I never take the o/d off when I am in town but I think that I will now. I can also say from experience that the automtic trannys in the 2500/5.9's are expensive to have rebuilt.

 

Trannys are hit or miss in these trucks. My 99 1500 never tows, doesn't even have a hitch, and the tranny is slipping. There is occasionally a few hundred pounds in the bed. On the other hand, my bro-in-laws 01 2500 tows almost every day, theres always a half ton of crap in the bed, we absolutely never service it, and it runs fine. It has 150k on it and I swear we've never so much as drained the pan. That truck is lucky if we pull the stick once in a while. Oh and back to the point of the thread, regardless of what we're towing, it never comes out of O/D unless we're engine braking on a real steep decline.

 

i dunno what to look for in the transmission while driving, what would be things to pay attn to? like feeling wise and what not, i just started driving around a year ago lol

 

Hey, Ramsport, when I'm driving my truck, it'll get to the shift point, and then, just as it's about to complete the shift from one gear to the next, it'll feel like it shifts again. The RPMs go up and everything. That's the best way I can describe it. It literally feels like it's slipping.

 

I'd leave it off around town and carrying that weight. Only turn it on when on the highway. I have been following that pattern since I bought my truck new in 97 and have had no problems with my tranny. The truck is 8.5 years old. I do the tranny service every couple of years and the last time did the flush. Besides, o/d kicks in at 28mph don't know what retard came up with that, they should have set it to come on at 40 or 45. Keeping it off gives the truck more power, at least I think.

 

I agree totaly with you wile c... I have started just this week with takeing it off and it is amazing the difference. I notice that going up even a small hill is alot smoother on the shifting with it off. I don't put it in even untill 50-60 now!! Thanks for the advice guys. Oh yeah... just from what was happening with my tranny when it went out... I was going up a fairly steep and long hill and the truck wouldnt even shift out of first gear. I had to go like 15 the whole way up. Later I found out that the 2nd gear band had broken. Sense I had driven it for a little bit after words the band went through the whole tranny and the tech said that it should probably be replaced so I did. In the begining I noticed that just going up a small hill and laying into the throttle it would start to slip. I suggest that in order to save alot of $$$ that if anyone has this problem then deffinetly get it checked fast. Also even though this is off of the thread subject.... does anyones truck shift down and rev way up if your really getting on it?? Mine will drop from o/d to what seems like 2nd and tac way up if I just fully lay into it to pass someone. I found that I have to really watch were the gas pedal is to prevent it... sorry for getting way off the thread... thanks